Playback SUMMER 2012 Table of Contents

Jerrod Niemann's third studio recording is a genre-blending sonic journey for those who love modern country but appreciate musical touches that recall a multitude of styles, including rock, honky-tonk, Dixieland and reggae. Free the Music was released on Oct. 2nd; listen to Niemann discuss the record in this ASCAP Audio Portrait.

This past April a group of ASCAP staff, Board members and friends attended a special performance of Nice Work If You Can Get It, the new Broadway musical hit featuring the songs of George and Ira Gershwin and starring Matthew Broderick and Kelly O'Hara.

On May 15th, The ASCAP Foundation and the Library of Congress jointly celebrated the third anniversary of the ASCAP Collection at the Library of Congress - the gift by The ASCAP Foundation of documents, photos, sheet music and other artifacts.

The World Soundtrack Academy has announced the list of its nominees for the 2012 World Soundtrack Awards, and 10 ASCAP members and foreign affiliates made the cut. Among the nominees are Howard Shore, nominated for both Film Composer of the Year and Best Film Score. Oscar winner Bret McKenzie (APRA) and Golden Globe winners Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry and Madonna were each nominated as well.

The White House's Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Victoria Espinel, is seeking input from the very people whose lives are most affected by IP Policy - that includes all of ASCAP's members. Help shape a strategic plan for the federal government's IP enforcement efforts. Submit your comment today.

For yet another year, ASCAP composers and foreign affiliates have clinched the majority of nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards. Past winners Sean Callery, Trevor Morris, Marc Shaiman, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman are among the 21 composers giving ASCAP 75% of the nominations in the 64th annual awards.

Chart-topping songwriters Dave Berg, Lonny Bereal, Maiysha, Scott Jacoby, Roke and Psalm One collaborated with America SCORES and East Fordham Academy for the Arts students. They led 13 three-day workshops, co-writing and recording songs with over 320 students in under-resourced neighborhoods in 12 cities.

At the 2012 Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, ASCAP members won every single music category - five in all. The composing duo of Jack Allocco and David Kurtz celebrated a 7th career Emmy for their music to The Young and the Restless.

The 43rd Annual Induction Ceremony and Awards Presentation of the Songwriters Hall of Fame was held at New York City’s Marriott Marquis on Thursday, June 14th. Hosted by legendary songwriter, ASCAP Board member and Songwriter Hall of Fame Chairman Jimmy Webb, the evening inducted a new class of songwriters who mostly rose to prominence in the 1970’s.

Back in 2007, ASCAP writers Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová gave the Sundance ASCAP Music Café audience one of the first public performances of their beautiful song, “Falling Slowly” from Once. The Broadway musical version of the film just nabbed eight Tony Awards.

ASCAP writers and composers made quite a showing at the 66th Annual Tony Awards. Academy Award-winners Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová's music for Once helped that show nab eight Tony Awards, and added to their phenomenal success.

We've gathered a list of the summer's biggest festivals with appearances by ASCAP members Ice Cube, Kid Cudi, The Roots, and Jay-Z among many others. Start making your schedule to catch these great events all summer long.

ASCAP composers and songwriters soundtracked 16 out of 20 musical works nominated for the 39th annual Daytime Emmy Awards. The nominees include six-time Emmy winners Jack Allocco and David Kurtz, who received four nods for their music to The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless.

This year's General Annual Membership Meeting kicked off the 2012 ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO. Watch ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams summarize ASCAP's advocacy efforts in the past year, and discuss what needs to be done for the future.

The nominations are in for the 2012 Tony Awards, and ASCAP members can be found in almost every music-related category. Leading the pack is movie-turned-musical Once followed closely by Nice Work If You Can Get It and Porgy and Bess, among a number of other spectacular shows from the 2011-2012 season.

Recordings from ASCAP members Prince, The Grateful Dead, Donna Summer and Leonard Bernstein top the list of works the Library of Congress will add to the National Recording Registry for their cultural, historical and aesthetic significance.

The World's Hottest Digital Markets: A Music Map, Myths From The Birth of US Copyright, What's Copying Your Music Really Worth to You? and Report: Facebook Plays a Relatively Minor Role In Music Discovery... and more in today's Daily Brief.

A talented singer and musician from a very young age, Lianne La Havas now adds songwriter to her list of many talents. With her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, gaining legions of fans, she is truly one of 2012's breakout stars.

ASCAP and Music Row got together on August 30th to go a little "5-1-5-0" with Dierks Bentley, celebrating his 10th career #1 as an artist and a songwriter. The song is the third single and third #1 from Bentley's 6th studio album, Home.

For the second consecutive year, film composers gathered in Poland for a series of lectures, performances, and networking opportunities to assist them in their pursuit of a career in film scoring. ASCAP Board member Richard Bellis took part, leading attendees in a class on the business of film composing.

ASCAP celebrated the team behind "Good Girl," recorded by Carrie Underwood, with an August #1 Party in Nashville. The hit single, produced by ASCAP member Mark Bright, marks Gorley's eighth #1 and became DeStefano's first chart-topper.

ASCAP celebrated the remarkable success of the band fun. at a recent afterparty, co-presented with First Artists Management after the band's recent show at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. The band met with invited film music industry guests and received a plaque commemorating the six-week #1 run of their single "We Are Young."

ASCAP member Rachel Assil is as passionate a songwriter and performer as they come, and she's got a personality to match. On the eve of her August 30th record release show in LA, we caught up with Rachel about her unique approach to art and life.

From August 25th through 26th, Brooklyn's Commodore Barry Park played host to the always-inspiring AfroPunk Festival. Among those letting their freak flags fly during the two-day festival were ASCAP members Erykah Badu, Janelle Monáe, Das Racist and TV on the Radio.

ASCAP Nashville recently hosted its second urban music showcase, co-presented by Big Fella of Perception Management and the TV show Cookin' Wit Big Fella. The event was part of an ongoing collaboration between ASCAP and leaders of the urban music scene in Nashville to expose the genre's talent to the broader Music Row community.

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation announced the 2012 inductees into its Hall of Fame, honoring ASCAP members Tony Arata and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Arata was named in the Songwriter category and Carpenter was elected in the Songwriter/Artist category.

ASCAP co-hosted a #1 Party on Monday, August 20th at the CMA offices in Nashville to celebrate songwriter Eric Paslay and the team behind "Even If It Breaks Your Heart," recorded by Eli Young Band. The chart-topper became the second of three #1 singles in just 11 months for ASCAP songwriter Paslay.

ASCAP songwriters traveled to wine country to entertain Nashville-style at two events in August. ASCAP's annual Nashville In Napa was once again held at Baldacci Family Vineyards to benefit NOTES for EDUCATION, an organization that supports arts education for children to ensure the continued development of the artists of tomorrow.

This summer, Copland House successfully inaugurated a new Emerging Composers Institute. Five gifted young composers participated in the launch of this exciting new program entitled CULTIVATE, directed by composer and Copland House founding clarinetist Derek Bermel.

On the final night of a lengthy tour supporting the brand new Handwritten album, ASCAP rock band The Gaslight Anthem played a wide-ranging show at New York's Webster Hall to a sold-out audience. ASCAP's Andrew Sparkler reports on how it all went down.

It was a magical evening on August 1st as rising ASCAP acts Father John Misty, He's My Brother She's My Sister and Monsters Calling Home played to a room packed with industry at the ASCAP Presents... showcase at BETA Records.

From established acts like Jackson Browne, Patty Griffin and Wilco to exciting new artists like tUnE-yArDs, City and Colour and First Aid Kit, folk music's past, present and future converged at this year's sold-out festival.

ASCAP composers made their mark on a variety of panels throughout the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con. Highlights included an all-ASCAP panel on video game music and a panel about composer/singer collaborations featuring 2012 Emmy nominees Robert Duncan, Trevor Morris and Marc Shaiman.

The 2012 ASCAP TV and Film Scoring Workshop with Richard Bellis is in full swing! Take a trip down memory lane with Workshop alumni Tulio Cremisini, Trevor Morris, Julia Newmann, Miles Hankins and Layla Minoui as they discuss what they're up to now and how the Workshop impacted their career.

ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams visited the Irish Music Rights Organization's annual members week along with ASCAP's Ralph Murphy and Sean Devine. Williams took part in interviews about his role at ASCAP and performed some of his classic works.

ASCAP hosted a #1 Party in July to celebrate the writers, publishers and creative teams behind "Fly Over States," recorded by Jason Aldean. Co-written by Neil Thrasher and Michael Dulaney, the hit marked the seventh #1 song for Thrasher and the ninth produced by Michael Knox.

Charlotte, NC metalcore outfit A Hero A Fake released their crushing third LP The Future Again on July 17th via Victory Records. We got the scoop on the band's approach for the new album from guitarist Eric Morgan.

Tennessee Senior Republican Senator Lamar Alexander stopped by ASCAP for a meet-and-greet on a recent visit to Nashville. The Senator, a champion of songwriters and music creators' rights, was treated to special performances by ASCAP songwriters Dave Turnbull and Chris Wallin.

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Charles Heidinger - the man behind indie-folk project Vandaveer - has been releasing albums and touring with the likes of Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes since 2007. We caught up with him in our New York office where he treated us to a performance of two songs.

Award-winning ASCAP composer Gordy Haab may have recently added two massively popular Star Wars video games to his impressive resume, but he’s not just playing around. Haab is part of a new breed of composers, well-educated in traditional scoring but working well beyond the realms of film and TV.

From the winners list to the performance stage, ASCAP’s most beloved urban music makers were all over the 2012 BET Awards. Beyoncé and Jay-Z each took home two awards. ASCAP superstars Usher, Chaka Khan, D’angelo, Valerie Simpson, Wale and many more offered riveting performances during the star-studded show.

Though he just released his debut album, Oklahoma native John Fullbright has already earned a prestigious award for his work. The ASCAP Foundation has announced that he is the recipient of its Harold Adamson Lyric Award.

Grammy award-winning ASCAP songwriters Hillary Lindsey and Brett James took the stage with the Nashville Symphony for the unique symphonic pop event Music City Hit-Makers, as part of Nashville’s annual 4th of July celebration “Let Freedom Sing!”

ASCAP member Ryan Hurd has signed an exclusive, worldwide publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group. Hurd recently took part in ASCAP’s GPS Project, the ASCAP New Crew showcase series and the ASCAP Country Songwriters Workshop. ASCAP’s commitment to developing new talent within these programs lead to Hurd’s introduction to UMPG and his subsequent publishing deal.

ASCAP composer Sharon Farber attended the Los Angeles premiere of her new film Unmasked - Judeophobia, a gripping documentary about the roots of anti-semitism and its impact on our world. The film is now screening in select theaters nationwide, and available on DVD.

ASCAP recently hosted a cocktail party with EMI Music Publishing at the swank SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. The event kicked off an EMI writers′ conference that the venerable music publisher was holding in Los Angeles.

ASCAP celebrated the recent chart-topper on Monday, June 11th with a #1 Party in downtown Nashville. The song marked Thrasher’s sixth #1 hit, and he was honored alongside producer and fellow ASCAP member Dann Huff, with "Banjo" heralding Huff’s 32nd #1 song.

Jason Reeves is a multi-talented singer-songwriter who has co-written hits with Colbie Caillat ("Bubbly," "Realize") and Lenka ("The Show"), and has released several solo records of his own. His new album, Songs Are Silent Films, came out June 12th: preview it now and listen to Reeves discuss the creation of the songs.

Composer Michael Gatonska is the winner of 2012 The American Prize in Composition in the professional division for his work entitled The Whispering Wind, performed by the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra. Gatonska is a former ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award winner.

After an acclaimed debut at this year’s Sundance, Safety Not Guaranteed opens in theaters on June 8th. The film features a score by ASCAP member Ryan Miller of Guster, who spoke to us at Sundance about his start in film scoring and how he became involved with the movie.

ASCAP country/pop star LeAnn Rimes and writer/producer Darrell Brown recently invited a small group of lucky listeners to a live recording session at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, accompanied by some of the finest session musicians in the industry.

ASCAP songwriter Dan Wilson, who co-penned Adele’s "Someone Like You" and Dierks Bentley’s "Home," was the VIP guest at a recent edition of the SONGWRITING: Killer Hooks, Essential Songs & Songwriters class at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music. The class focused on Dan’s creative and professional journey as a songwriter.

Conrad Tao, an ASCAP member and accomplished pianist, was awarded one of the 2012 Avery Fisher Career Grants. Tao is currently a Gilmore Young Artist and, in late 2011, was the only classical musician to make Forbes' “30 Under 30” list highlighting the “youngest stars in the music business.”

ASCAP and peermusic celebrated with R&B singer/songwriter Tyrese at an elegant music supervisor showcase on May 18th. The crowd of industry notables was treated to a special performance from Tyrese and a film about his hit fifth album, Open Invitation.

Midori & Friends celebrated Viva La Música!, a gala to commemorate the Hispanic heritage of students throughout New York City. The gala was hosted by Alexandra Lioutikoff, Vice President of Latin Music at ASCAP.

ASCAP Board Member Jimmy Webb was recognized with the prestigious Special International Award at this year's Ivor Novello Awards ceremony in London, where numerous ASCAP writers and composers took home top honors.

Tim Williams and Matt Welsh of indie rock duo Soft Swells stopped by ASCAP's L.A. office to treat the staff to some new tunes. We caught them on video, playing an acoustic version of "Lifeboats" from their debut record, out now.

ASCAP member Adam Sanders was recently signed to a publishing agreement with Big Yellow Dog Music as a result of his appearance at ASCAP's New Crew Writers Round showcase. The regular showcase series exists to help promote and introduce talented, up-and-coming young writers to Nashville's vibrant music publisher community.

ASCAP welcomed songwriter-artist Jerrod Niemann to the family when he stopped by the Nashville office to join ASCAP as a writer member. The summery "Shinin' On Me," Niemann's first single from his forthcoming yet-to-be-titled album, is quickly climbing the BillboardHot Country Songs chart.

On May 4th, ASCAP composer Cyril Morin hosted a reception and screening of his new film The Application Cafe. Morin wrote, directed and scored the film, about a mysterious man who enters a cafe in the middle of nowhere and changes the lives of everyone inside it.

ASCAP Nashville hosted a #1 Party on May 3rd, 2012, to celebrate songwriters Chris Stapleton and Al Anderson along with publishers Sea Gayle Music Publishing, Small Fish Music, Big Yellow Dog Music, producer Tony Brown and UMG Nashville on George Strait's latest hit single "Love's Gonna Make It Alright."

The Billboard Country Music Summit, presented in association with CMA, features two days of provocative discussion of issues critical to the success of stakeholders in the country music business and advice on how to build, maximize and sustain your career.

London hosted its first Sundance Film and Music Festival this past weekend featuring a Music Cafe produced by the ASCAP London offices. The four-day festival included film screenings and performances all held at the famous O2.

ASCAP joined the creative teams behind Dierks Bentley's latest #1, "Home," to celebrate the song at Arnold's in Nashville on April 30, 2012. The anthemic title track is Bentley's 9th career #1 hit as a artist and songwriter, and the second #1 off his new album.

Legendary virtuoso of the highest order, Al Di Meola, is a pioneer in blending world music and jazz. He has been recognized for his 35 years as a prolific composer, respected artist and leader with over 20 recordings to his name

ASCAP composers Mark Isham, Trevor Morris, Richard Bellis and Lucas Vidal were among the invited guests at the 2012 Festival International de Música de Cine, held in the historic city of Córdoba in Spain.

ASCAP members Rambo McGuire captured top honors on Gospel Music’s biggest night, receiving the Best Bluegrass Album of the Year award for Grassroots Rambos. Dottie Rambo was also honored with Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year for her classic "Mama’s Teaching Angels How To Sing."

Award-winning ASCAP members Dave Berg and Alonzo "Zo" Lee performed songs they wrote with St. Louis students at the event, which benefited America SCORES St. Louis. ASCAP's Sue Devine was honored with the organization's Legacy Award.

In his 15 years as an ASCAP member, Usher has continuously pushed the envelope - as a songwriter and performer but also as an actor, dancer and philanthropist. Today he defines the meaning of a superstar. Here Usher tells how he and a team of the world's best producers made an album for the ages.

The new album from ASCAP member Matisyahu combines uplifting reggae-rap jams with a production style, mixing the old-school with the 27th century. We talked with Matisyahu and ASCAP producer Kool Kojak about the making of Spark Seeker.

In 1997, the leaders of eight production music libraries formed the Production Music Association (PMA), an organization dedicated to promoting the interests of this specialized community. We caught up with PMA President Randy Wachtler about how production music can benefit music creators, and where the industry is headed.

2012 marks the first year that the Vans Warped Tour (proudly sponsored by ASCAP) has been around longer than the average age of its attendees. And as our intrepid Pop/Rock crew tells it, the Warped Tour's core values of great, diverse music and terrific organization haven't changed a bit.

ASCAP mourns the untimely passing of one of our most distinguished, accomplished and honored members – composer, arranger, conductor and pianist Marvin Hamlisch, who died in Los Angeles on August 6th. Hamlisch's outstanding musical achievements encompassed Musical Theatre, Film and Television, Pop and Symphonic Music.

ASCAP member and Broadway great Richard Adler died on June 21st at his Southampton, NY home at the age of 90. Adler and the late Jerry Ross (1926-1955) were the Tony-winning co-writers of the scores for the 1950’s classic Broadway musicals The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees.

Robin Gibb, who performed along with his brothers Barry and Maurice as The Bee Gees and became one of the most-successful songwriting teams of all time, died on May 20th at the age of 62 after fighting a long-term illness.

ASCAP member Adam "MCA" Yauch, a founding member of legendary hip-hop trio The Beastie Boys and director of many of their most beloved music videos, has passed away. Yauch helped bring hip-hop to a worldwide audience, and his pioneering filmmaking was every bit as creative as his music.

Jerrod Niemann's third studio recording is a genre-blending sonic journey for those who love modern country but appreciate musical touches that recall a multitude of styles, including rock, honky-tonk, Dixieland and reggae. Free the Music was released on Oct. 2nd; listen to Niemann discuss the record in this ASCAP Audio Portrait.

Rhythm & Soul songstress Mathai abandoned a potential career in medicine to pursue her dream of music, and we're glad to welcome her as a new ASCAP member. After a successful run on NBC's The Voice, we can't wait to see what she does next.

One of the great pleasures of my role as ASCAP President is to help honor our top songwriter, composer and music publisher members at our awards shows. In this issue you’ll find coverage of events that recognized members in the genres of pop, film and television, urban and concert music for either success on the charts, at the box-office, on TV, in a video game or for a career at the top of his/her respective craft.

When one experiences a breakup, wild emotions come out to play. Many victims of love ride out the storm, but singer-songwriter Terry Radigan turned it around to write, record and produce a no-holds-barred album.

After a decade of releasing acclaimed independent albums and touring, Ben's latest effort, Listening, reflects an artist at ease with a wide palette of styles, from folk, pop and soul to urban, reggae and country.

The partnership between ASCAP composer Marc Streitenfeld and filmmaker Ridley Scott continues with the weighty sci-fi film Prometheus, in theaters now. Streitenfeld’s spacious, pensive score perfectly captures the profundity of the film. We spoke with Streitenfeld about how he did it.

From his chart-topping tenures in Rabbitt and Yes to his scores for blockbuster films like Remember the Titans and National Treasure, 2012 Henry Mancini Award honoree Trevor Rabin has never been far from the limelight. We asked the multi-faceted music creator to reflect on his life in music.

Fun-loving ASCAP punkers MxPx are celebrating their 20th birthday with a new album, Plans Within Plans, and a worldwide anniversary tour. On the eve of his solo acoustic Warped Tour dates, the band’s frontman Mike Herrera told us about what keeps MxPx going strong.

After years of pavement-pounding, L.A. rockers Kill the Complex are finally getting the attention they deserve: they hit #1 on KROQ's "Locals Only" program, then landed a manager and booking agent. We talked with 3/4 of Kill the Complex about what it’s like to be a young band working hard to make it happen.

The ASCAP Foundation announces that a new annual program to assist a deserving graduate student of Film & Television scoring at New York University's Steinhardt School has been established by the Mizzy Jonas Family Foundation.

ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams and his wife Mariana have established The ASCAP Foundation "Sunlight of the Spirit" Award to be presented to an individual who is exemplary in recovery and in music creativity.

The ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composers Awards has received a major, multi-year financial commitment from The Herb Alpert Foundation. The program, established in 2002, has been renamed the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards.

The ASCAP Foundation presented "ASCAP Day" @ Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, providing Film Scoring and Songwriting students an opportunity to talk to composer and musician Pat Irwin as well as ASCAP staff about information on current trends in the industry.

We media miners enjoy reading on the iPad, and even a small smartphone display can be okay in a pinch. Actually, the bright screen is very welcome down in the pits. But there's still nothing like the old combustible media known as paper.

From a compact processor and looper for vocalists from Boss to Sony's latest wireless systems that include handheld and headset microphones, bodypack transmitters for instruments and rack-mountable receivers, here are some new tools perfect for singer-songwriters and producers.

How's your hearing? Unless you've been tested recently, you probably don't know the medical answer to that question, but that doesn't really matter. Take a second to ask yourself how well you think you hear, and how your ears feel when you listen.

Whether it be electric, acoustic, sampled, or synthesizer-generated, bass information can take up a lot of energy in a mix. Yet somehow, it can also get lost as other instruments-especially guitar and keyboards-compete for sonic territory.

The Toronto International Film Festival has emerged as one of the most prestigious film fests in the world. This year's edition will screen more than 300 films from 60+ countries, and many feature music written by ASCAP-licensed composers from around the world. We've highlighted a few of the most promising ones. If you're heading to Toronto this year, consider this your "don't miss" guide!

ASCAP member Harry Shearer, a veteran of The Simpsons and This Is Spinal Tap, is also a versatile music maker. For his sixth solo album Can't Take a Hint, Shearer and a group of renowned musical collaborators tackle subjects both topical and hilarious. We talked to Shearer about the making of Can't Take a Hint.

ASCAP singer, songwriter, producer and founder of electro-pop project Owl City, Adam Young, tells us about his fourth studio effort, how he chose its title, what it was like collaborating with several other artists and producers for the first time and what he hopes listeners take away from the album.

ASCAP composer Geoff Zanelli's intimate score to Disney's The Odd Life of Timothy Green strikes a subtle balance between fantasy and real life, whimsy and seriousness. The week of the film’s August 15th opening, Zanelli told us how he did it - and how he couldn't have done it without his daughter.

The August edition of ASCAP's monthly "We Create Music" Series featured songwriters Jessi Alexander, Chris DeStefano, Clare Dunn and Bobby Hamrick, and also included bands VITEK and The Wans, who performed to an industry-filled crowd at The Basement in Nashville.

ASCAP member Gabe Sokoloff used to think that writing music for commercials would stifle his creativity. What he found was just the opposite: commercial assignments actually helped accelerate his growth as a music maker. Read Sokoloff's fascinating story to find out how.

You'll hear bits of folk, pop, soul, urban music, reggae and country on Ben Taylor's new album Listening. But mostly, you'll hear Ben Taylor. This acclaimed singer-songwriter, the son of Carly Simon and James Taylor, tells us why it's his most honest album yet.

Already a household name for his acting work in major Disney TV series & films, ASCAP singer-songwriter Shane Harper is making major inroads with his music in 2012. Harper spilled the beans on his brand-new Dancin' in the Rain EP, executive produced by Adam Anders.

From cooking shows to war documentaries to best-selling video games, there's precious little that Ivor Novello Award-winning British composer Daniel Pemberton (PRS) hasn't scored. We wouldn't be surprised if Pemberton's eerie score to The Awakening - out August 17th in the US - turns a few new ears his way. We called him out of an Abbey Road mixing session for a few questions.

Swedish songwriter/producer/guitarist Carl Falk co-wrote "Starships" (Nicki Minaj) and "What Makes You Beautiful" (One Direction), both of which have stayed near the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 24 weeks. Falk fills us in on the making of both songs.

A decade after their last full-length, pop/rock band Sixpence None the Richer have returned with Lost in Translation. The band's co-founder Matt Slocum talks candidly about the triumphs and setbacks that fed into this highly anticipated album.

The film Soldiers of Fortune, in theaters August 3rd, follows a group of billionaire adventurers as they visit a real warzone, just for kicks. ASCAP composer Joseph LoDuca tells us how his bold score reflected the themes and setting of the movie.

If you've ever played in a band or co-written a song, you know how wonderful and occasionally frustrating it can be to write music with others. Veteran co-writer and songwriting instructor Keppie Coutts explains how to bring the best out of any musical collaboration in this case study about writing her new Machin(e) EP.

Testament pioneered the thrash metal style that galloped out of the Bay Area in the mid-80's. Their brand new tenth album Dark Roots of Earth proves that the band's still firing on all cylinders, more than 25 years later. We spoke with Testament vocalist Chuck Billy about the album and what it's like to age well in extreme music.

Blazing alt-rock band Beta Wolf released its Just Before Morning EP on July 31st via Congregation Records. The band's frontman (and ASCAP Lester Sill Workshop alum) Grant Arnow tells us about the EP, including what it was like writing the title track with superstar songwriter Dan Wilson.

The online branch of renowned Berklee College of Music is offering a series of five free informational e-booklets, covering songwriting, music production, music business, orchestration and more. Each was written by Berklee faculty member to provide you with exclusive tips and techniques for developing your career. Download them today!

We don't usually gush about music that hasn't been written yet here in Film Music Friday, but this week there was just too much good news about ASCAP members' upcoming scoring assignments to not report about them!

Here's the skinny on three great new ASCAP albums: Detroit songstress Mozella's record with Motown Hall of Famer Brian Holland, the debut from soulful L.A. pop/rock band So & So, and the new EP from San Diego indie rock stalwarts Three Mile Pilot.

In just two years, the ASCAP GPS Project has developed a remarkable success rate pairing up-and-coming Nashville songwriters with reputable Music Row publishers. ASCAP's Ryan Beuschel goes through the Project's history and highlights some of its most notable achievements.

Beasts of the Southern Wild has generated near universal acclaim, including the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. We spoke with the film's director and co-composer Benh Zeitlin, a new ASCAP member, about his process for creating its unique score and his not-so-secret desire to make a proper pop record.

Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend," the lead single from his blockbuster second album Believe, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the iTunes charts within hours. ASCAP writer/producer Mason "MdL" Levy tells us about the song's creation.

Undefinable ASCAP duo The Books may have closed for good earlier this year, but they're not leaving without a proper sendoff. On July 24th the band releases A Dot In Time., a massive retrospective box set full of LPs, MP3s, a DVD and a book about golf. ASCAP's Etan Rosenbloom reports.

Ice Age: Continental Drift is now in theaters. It boasts a boisterous score from ASCAP composer John Powell, who has earned kudos for his music for How to Train Your Dragon and Happy Feet. Powell answered our questions exactly as you'd expect from a man who soundtracks mammoths, dragons and tap-dancing penguins for a living.

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Sarah Fimm tells us about her brand new Barn Sessions EP. The first in a series of releases dedicated to the spirit of the arts community in Woodstock, NY, Barn Sessions comes exclusively as a USB drive encased in wood. Read on to find out about the magical circumstances surrounding its release!

Grammy-winning comedian Louis C.K. is rocking the ticketing industry by selling tickets to his live shows exclusively through his website. Could this new live ticketing strategy be adopted by music creators? ASCAP’s Brianne Galli investigates.

Oscar-winning ASCAP composer James Horner is no stranger to scoring larger-than-life characters in blockbuster movies. His mix of traditional orchestral scoring and cutting-edge sound design fits perfectly with the epic The Amazing Spider-Man, which opened in theaters on July 3rd and is already setting new box office records.

ASCAP composer Walter Murphy’s music is all over Seth MacFarlane’s animated TV shows Family Guy, American Dad and The Cleveland Show, so he was an obvious choice to score MacFarlane’s directorial debut Ted, out now. What’s it like moving from cartoon pooches to CGI teddy bears? We asked Murphy to expound.

Scottish composer Patrick Doyle (PRS) has soundtracked some of film’s greatest characters, from Hamlet to Harry Potter. But he had his work cut out for him when he took on Merida, the headstrong protagonist of the new Pixar feature Brave, in theaters June 22nd. Find out what he thinks of her in our video interview.

Summer has officially begun! Everyone knows that summertime wouldn’t be the same without a soundtrack of your favorite tunes, so we’re kicking off sunburn season with a selection of summer favorites from the ASCAP repertory, both old and new.

Ice-T's directorial debut Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap accesses the heart of hip-hop in the words of its greatest proponents. The documentary follows the legendary rapper as he interviews dozens of rappers and DJs about the art and history of their craft. We caught up with Ice-T just before the film’s June 15th release.

Nashville-based ASCAP member Jaren Johnston pens hits for country stars by day and rocks out with his band The Cadillac Black by night. As ASCAP’s Ryan Beuschel sees it, Johnston’s a perfect example of the increasing diversity of Music City, USA.

So you’ve got a great batch of tunes, but you need some help getting your music out there. What if you told a potential audience that listening to your music could improve sports performance, combat illiteracy and even help premature babies gain weight? Here are 11 problems that music can help to solve.

Texans are known for their music and state pride, both of which can be heard in the time-honored tradition of the Texas dance hall. ASCAP's Ryan Beuschel follows country star Billy Currington to the Cowboys Dancehall in San Antonio to explore this popular sub-culture.

Dozens of fantastic ASCAP acts are performing at Bonnaroo this weekend in Manchester, TN, encompassing every level of success and every micro-genre you can name. There's one in particular that ASCAP's Erik Philbrook is most excited to see: Ludacris.

For his score to the new action comedy Hit and Run, ASCAP composer Julian Wass got to soundtrack car chases, love scenes and hilarious banter, sneaking in his beloved vintage synthesizers any chance he could got. Read on to find out how Wass did it, and how he and Pete Townshend are cosmically linked.